Flat Living (the reality edition)

OK so it is not in theory any more.
Astrid is in school 2nd week. She is loving it. We have moved MOST everything from the old house. We have had a garage sale, have listings on craigslist (fridge, baby swing, dryer anyone?). We are walking every morning instead of driving, we are buying only what is in the budget, we are on our way.

This past week was a bit of a bump in the budgeting road. And both of us feel like big losers because of it. We just spent too much on eating out with all of the moving and not really being unpacked in the kitchen. But really, overall... we are now budgeting machines! It is so much easier when it is not overwhelming! I create the spreadsheet and make sure the money envelopes are all filled with the right amount, and Vyk is the executer for the most part. We finally figured out our gifting and are using them to our benefit. Kathy plan, Vyk execute.

Overall, I LOVE the new life! I still have lots to work on... it did not put an end to all of our problems... but it did breathe new life into our lives! Flat Living is about living into the beauty of God's plan for our lives... which is actually abundance... it just might look a bit different then what everyone thought "abundance" was supposed to but for us it is beauty! Pure and Simple!

The first night we moved in... Vyk found a book in the attic called "Christ the Leader" by a man named Russell. It appears to be a Catholic book on theology used either to educate lay people or possibly preists. It is dated 1936 (the year the house was built) and has our address plus a name "Elwood Lyons". Pretty cool! Vyk and I have both talked about the sense of peace we have had in the new house. We have been more harmonious and working together better as a team. Vyk has been leading with out "bulldozing" and I have been nurturing without "nagging"... more.
I tend to believe in Maya Angelou's take on words kind of soaking into a place into the walls, the upholstery, etc. But in this case, I am also sure that when you set out to live the way God wants you to live in a place and you let God guide you to the place... you are more than a little likely to find peace waiting for you when you get there. Kind of makes me wonder why we never did it like this before... oh yeah, we thought we had it all figured out :) HA!